Apparatus for the removal of liquids from masses of material associated therewith



Nov. 26, 1940. J. HELLE 'ETAL I 2 APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF,LIQUIDS FROM MASSES OF'HATERIAL ASSOCIATED THEREWITH Original Filed Nov. 10. 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 o I a 4 108 a MVEA/rom 1 o 7 2A a 1 4 0 7 72 v flww rm/sway 26, 1940.- I l J. HE-LLE'ETAL 2,222,664"

APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF LIQUIDS FROM MASSES OF MATERIAL ASSOCIATED THEREWITH Original Filed Nov. 10, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 a o 2 @27 as 298 IIIIIIIIIIH L I [nunn.

/5 v ,l/VVEA/TORS W 'nrrmwsy Nov. 26,1940. J. HELLE EI'AL 5 APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF LIQUIDS FROM MASSES 0F MATERIAL ASSOCIATED THEREWITH Original Filed Nov.- l 1936. 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 illlllllilllllllll lA/VfA/roms ATTOAA/EY Nav. 26, 1940. J. HELL-E ETAL 2,222,664 APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL QF'LIQUIDS FROMJJASSES 1 OF MATERIAL ASSOCIATED THEBEWITH Original Filed Nov. 10, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 26, 1940 APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF LIQUIDS FROM MASSES OF MATERIAL ASSOCIATED THEREWITH Johann Helle and Alfons Kunz, Fuzfo, Hungary,

assignors to Nitrokemia Ipartelepek Reszvenytarsasag, Budapest, Hungary, a Hungarian company Original application November 10, 1936, Serial No.

Divided and this application June 24,

1938, Serial No. 215,590. In Hungary May 22,

14 Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus for the removal of liquids from masses of material associated therewith, e. g., the removal of Zcid from nitrated starch, and this application is division of ourco-pending application Serial No. 110,187, which was filed upon the 10th November, 1936.

One object of this invention is to provide apparatus which can be used for carrying into eflect the process for the removal of acid from nitrated starch as describedand claimed in the said copending application.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide apparatus of the kind described which can' be operated uninterruptedly to deal with a continuity of batches of material upon a continuous belt system.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus whereby individual batches of material, such as nitrated starch, can be processed step by step while a continuous series of such batches are applied to and removed from the apparatus.

Yet another object is to provide apparatus in which nitrated starch is arranged in separate batches in a series, and these batches are treated in counter current with water and freed from the mixed acid.

A further object is to provide apparatus in which the separate masses of nitrated starch identical one with the other are spread in layers of substantially the same thickness on filter stones arranged separately one from the other in a common carrier, and washed out with water in such a manner that the pure water is conducted to the mass already repeatedly extracted and containing the least amount of mixed acid and the acidified water obtained at this point is successively conducted to nitro starch masses containing more and more mixed acid, while the aqueous acid drawn from the last mass of the series is removed and can be used as concentrated acid, for example, in nitrating fresh starch.

One form ofapparatus constructed according to the invention will now be explained by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the apparatus broken away particularly to show the driving means.

Fig. 1a is an elevational view of a detail of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

' Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the. apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line IIIIH of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the apparatus.

Fig. 5 shows on an enlarged scale the purification arrangement of the apparatus.

' Fig. 6 shows a section on the line VIVI of I cogs.

g. 9 shows the arrangement for conducting the nitrated starch to the apparatus. v

Corresponding parts in the drawings are indicated by similar reference numerals.

The perpendicularly disposed shaft H is driven by the shaft [2 by means of the bevel gearing l3 and I l. The shaft 12 rotates intermittently and is operated in this manner by, the electric motor I5 through theco-operating drive shown in Fig. 1. The motor I5' drives the shaft It? by means of the spindle l6 and worm gear 11. An eccentric I9 is keyed on to the shaft 18 andsupports the rod 2| by means of the roller 20. The rod 21 is rotatably mounted on the pivot 22 and is loaded with the weight 24 at its free end.

The rod 2| carries a co-operating pawl 25 which engages in the teeth of the cog 26 and turns the shaft 12 through an angular distance equal to the pitch of the said teeth with each rotation of the eccentric.

At the upper end of the shaft I an attachment 2! is firmly keyed thereto so that this part- 2'1 moves with the shaft I l The attachment made, for example of acid resisting steel, carries on its upper surfaces. series of segment shaped openings arranged in a circle one beside the other into which openings filter stones 28l--303 are fitted to make a close fit. Under the filter stones 28l-3ll3 hollow spaces 29 are provided in the interior of the attachment'ea'ch of which hollow spaces opens into a drain channel 30 also in the interior of the attachment. The lower openings 3| of all these channels lie on a horizontally arranged annular sliding surface 32 of the attachment on which the attachment slides on an edge 33 also forming a sliding surface of' a circular shaped member 35. Slots 34l-350 are out along the entire sliding surface 35 which slots are of different lengths for a purpose which will be hereinafter made clear. These slots 341-350 open Fig. 8 shows the acid delivery to the separate into flexible tubes 361-310 through which the 6 surfaces. The lower ends of the springs 31 abut on the fixed housing 38 of the shaft I I.

A frame 39 havingfour pyramidal sides lies on each of the filter stones 28 I303. This pyramidal form serves the purpose of preventing the filter cake being carried up with the frame when the latter is raised.

Each frame 39 is attached to an arm 40, all the arms 40 turning on a ring of pivots 4|. A ring 42 is fixed on the attachment between the frames 39 and the pivots 4|, and the upper edge 43 of the ring is slanted outwardly and provided with a swallow tail groove 44 for each of the arms 40.

These grooves form guides for the arms 40 in order to prevent side displacement by bending 'at the pivots 4|, when the arms 40 are raised above or lowered to the filter stone.

An arcuate rib 46 is arranged as a fixed rail on a part of the circular path and the height of this rib which does not rotate with the attachment, increases progressively from one end until the height shown in Fig. 3 is reached for the purpose of raising the arm 40 at a determined position of its path from the filter stone to which it belongs, and then lowering it again to the same filter store.

Rollers 41 are provided on the arm 40 to guide it along the rail 46.

. At that part of the circular path at which the frames 39 are fully raised there are provided three cleaning devices namely the screw conveyor 48 which, rotating in the direction of the arrow 49, cleans the filter stone and removes the adherent material from the stone over the edge 58 of the attachment into a container 59. After the screw conveyor there follows a series of brushes 5| fixed on an endless chain 50. The chains move over rollers 52, 53, of whichfi52 revolves loosely and 53 is fixed on to the shaft 54.

The shaft 54 drives the screw conveyor 48 through a worm gear 55, and also drives through helical screw gear 55', 56, the conical brush 51 which cleans the downwardly bent edge 58 of the attachment. All three cleaning devices move the material into the container 59.

The material to be treated is conducted from the container 60 to the separate cells formed by each filter stone and frame.

The container 60 is in the form of a funnel,

and its lower wide opening 6| is closed by a ball valve 62. The valve 62 is connected with one end of the lever 64 movable about the fixed pivot 63, and is operated by means of the draw rod 65.

For this purpose the draw rod 65 is connected with the arm 66 of an integral triple lever movable about the fixed pivot 66I and the second.

arm 61 of said lever through the rod 68, is in hinged connection with the lever 10 which is movable about the fixed pivot 69.

The lever 10 carries at its free end a roller 10I.

The weight 12 fixed on to the third arm 1| of the triple lever presses on the one hand by means of the rod 65'and the lever 64 the valve 62 into its seating, and on the other hand by means of the lever 61 and the rod 68 the roller 10I'against the cam disc 14 arranged on the hollow shaft 13. The hollow shaft 13 coaxial with the shaft- I2 is driven by the shaft I8 of the worm drive I1 and the chain 16 and chain wheels 15 and 11.

These transmissions are so selected that the hollow shaft 13 and the camdisc 14 arranged thereon together with abutment 18 makes one revolution whilst the pawl 25 turns the shafts I2 and II through a part of a rotation corresponding to the pitch of the teeth.

The number of teeth of the wheel 26 is the same as the number of filter stones to the attachment 21, so that with each rotation of the eccentric I9 the attachment 21 is rotated through an angular distance equivalent to the pitch of the stones and then remains stationary for a certain time. The abutment 18 is so arranged that it operates the rods 65 and 64 of the valve 62, that is to say, opens and closes-the valve 62 during the time that the attachment 21 stands still.

The formof apparatus shown in thedrawings is,

adapted for washing nitrated starch. The acids employed for this purpose of different concentration are conducted to the containers 86 arranged on the horizontal axle 19. The containersi are of triangular longitudinal section (see Fig. 8) and the common axle 19 is passed through the lowest corner. Each container lies inside one of the fixed containers 90-96, and each of these containers opens at its lowest point into one of the pipes 200-206. Each of the tubes has a straight extended end provided with holes 81, and directed radially to the shaft II, so that when the attachment stands still it is positioned in the middle of one of the frames 39.

The axle 19 is mounted in bearings 86 and 89 and is connected by lever 91 and rod 98 with an integral triple lever 99, loaded at its other end by the weight I00. The triple lever is movable about the fixed axle IOI, and its third arm I02 is connected with the lever I05 movable about the fixed axle I04 by means of the rod I03. The lever I05 is provided with a roller I06 which rolls on the periphery of the cam 14, and is operated by the abutment I08.

In washing nitrated starch the apparatus is operated as follows:

A reduced pressure is set up in the conduits 36I-310 each of which opens into a special collecting vessel, not shown in the drawings. The pulp like nitrated starch is conducted to the container 60 in amounts determined beforehand. The container 80 is filled with concentrated sulphuric acid, containers 8|--83 with nitric-sulphuric acid solutions of progressively lower concentration and the containers 84, and 86 with water. The filling of the containers is effected each time before the attachment and members carried thereon are further rotated through an angular distance equivalent to the pitch of the filter stones and the frames 39. Conveniently conduits IIO are provided for feeding the several containers in batches.

First of all the valve 62 is opened by the projection 18, by the operation of the rods 61, 86, 65 and 64. As the lower opening 6| of the container 60 is very wide, its empties itself suddenly and its contents, are poured over the filter stone 28I standing under the container 60. The pulp like mass suddenly poured on the stone distributes itself on the stone in the frame standing above it in a layer of uniform thickness.

Simultaneously the projection I06 operates the rods I03, I02, 99, 98, 91 and'turns the axle 19 in the direction of the arrow III so that the contents of all the containers 80-86 are poured respectively into the funnels -96, and through the tubes 200206 to trickle between each two movements through their fine bore holes 81 on to the filtered nitrated starch cakes standing under the tube ends. The acid or water so conducted to the layers of nitro starch forms thereon layers of liquid of the same depth above each.

Concentrated sulphuric acid flows from the 5 container 88 on to the empty stone 282, and is drawn therethrough by the vacuum under the stone. The object of this operation is to freev the stone 282 from the water it contains. This acid is sucked off while the stone is in the position immediately following, that is to say, where in the drawing (Fig. 4)-- the stone 283 is standing. The drain channel 38 under the filter stone 282 communicates through the slot 358 of the circular body 35 with the flexible conduit 318, while the drain channel of the filter stone 283 communicates through slot 3 with the fiexible conduit 36!. The acid here drawn off is regenerated.

The fresh mass of nitrated starch falling from the container 68 comes to the stone 28l. It'contains still a considerable amount of acid, 'which is drawn off by the vacuum under the stone, partly in this position, and partly in the two positions immediately following this suction.

Filtration of the starch occurs simultaneously on 25 stones 284 and 285. The channels 38 under the stones 28l, 284, and 285 open in the position of in the three succeeding positions 286, 281 and- 288 through the slot 343 and the tube 363. The acid drawn off here is regenerated and used for nitrating fresh starch.

40 The more dilute acid from container 82 which has been drawn from the material lying on stones 292, 293 and 294 is conducted-to the material on stone 289. The channel 38 corresponding to stones 289, 298 and 29l opens through the com- 45 mon slot 344 into the flexible tube 364. The acid drawn off here goes to stone 286 through the container 8|. The aqueous acid from container 83 which is drawn from the material on stones 296298 is conducted to filter stone 292. Suc- 50 tion filtration goes on in the three succeeding positions 292, 293 and 294 and the liquid is conductedthrough the slot 345 of the annulus 35 common to these positions, and through the fiexible tube 365 and the container 82 to the stone 289.

55 Pure water flows from the container 84 on to the material on stone 295. Suction filtration goes on in both succeeding'positions 295 and 296, and the liquid drawn 01f goes through the slot 346 into the flexible tubing 366. It is then con- 80 ducted to container 83 from where it goes to the stone 292. v

In the same way pure water-flows from the container 85 on to the material on filter stone 291. Suction filtration goes on in the two suc- 65 ceeding positions 291 and 298 through the slot 341 and tube 361 and the liquid drawn off is con- 7 ducted to the container'83.

The material on stone 299 receives pure water from container 86 which is drawn off in positions 299 and 388 through the' slot 348 and the tube 368.

From the position 388 onwards the frames 39 are raised by the rib 46 so that the material can be removed by the conveyor devices 48 and 75 These conveyor devices remove the material freed from acid to the container 59 and simultaneously the edge of the attachment is cleaned by the brush 51.

The above description is given as if the apparatus were at rest, but as it is moving step by step this order of procedure is repeated at each movement forward of the attachment so that continually a stone is covered with fresh nitrated starch. and with the exception ofthese standing under the cleaning devices, acid of the described different concentrations or water is conducted to the remainder.

The apparatus according to the invention can be used apart from the removal of acid from nitrated starch for similar operations in which the material to be treated must be freed from a liquid.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for the removal of liquids from masses of material associated therewith, which comprises a carrier having a slidably movable plane surface with slots therein, a series of box filters mounted on said carrier above said slots to receive the masses of material, each of said filters comprising a horizontal filter surface upon which a mass of material is deposited, a box-like frame normally resting on said horizontal filter surface and a chamber below said filter surface to collect liquid passing through said filter, said chamber having outlets communicating with said slots in said carrier surface, a member having a fixed plane surface with slots which coincide at regular intervals with the slots in said carrier surface, a series of conduits communicating with said slots in a fixed plane surface, mechanism for moving said plane surface of said carrier slidablyin contact with said fixed plane surface of said member at intermittent intervals, whereby said slots in the said contacting surfaces are brought into coincidence at determined intervals, and means for raising said frames from said filter surface when said masses of material are to be removed from said filter surfaces.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including a fixed hopper for the material, and a plurality of fixed liquid conduits so arranged that when the filter carrier is at rest, material to be treated and wash liquors can be delivered to co-operating 3; Apparatus for the removal of liquids from masses of material associated therewith which comprises a carrier having a slidably movable surface with slots therein, a series of box filters mounted on said carrier above said slots to receive the masses of material, each of said filters comprising a horizontal filter surface upon which a mass of material is deposited, a pivoted arm, a frame carried by said arm and normally resting on a horizontal filter surface, and a chamber below said filter surface to collect liquid passing through said filter, said chamber having outlets communicating with said. slots in said carrier surface, a member having a fixed plane surface with slots which coincide at regular intervals with said slots in said carrier surface, a series of conduits communicating with said slots in said fixed plane surface, mechanism for moving said carrier surface slidably in contact with said fixed plane surface at intermittent intervals, whereby the slots in said plane surfaces may be brought into coincidence at determined'intervals; a fixed hopper, a plurality of fixed liquid conduits so delivered to co-operating filters, and a ramp rail fixed in the path traversed by said filter carrier at a position in relation to the movement of the carrier lying beyond the position "of the wash liquor conduits and so disposed that said pivoted arms holding said filter frames pass over and are raised by said ramp rail to enable filter cakes to be removed from said filters under raised frames.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the filter frames are of frusto-pyramidal shape to prevent the filter cakes rising with said filter frames.

, 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3-, including a Worm conveyor and brushes arranged at a position in the path" traversed by the filters where the frames are in a raised position to remove filter cakes from the filter.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the filter carrier and the movable and fixed slidably co-operating surfaces of the carrier and the member carrying the conduit slots are circular and the filters are mounted radially round the plane surfaces are correspondingly arranged.

'7. Apparatus for the removal of liquids from -masses of material associated therewith, which comprises a carrier having a slidably mo'vable plane surface with slots therein,a series of box filters mounted on said carrier above said slots, each of said filters comprising a horizontal filter surface, a frame normally resting on said horizontal filter surface and achamber below said filter surface to collect liquid passing through a member having a fixed plane surface with slots which coincide at regular intervals with the slots in said carrier surface, a series of conduits com- 5 municating with said slots in a fixed plane sur,

termittently by the mechanism achieving the 'inl '50 t'ermittent movement of the filter carrier whereby a determined amount of the material to be treated can be discharged quickly on to the filter surface while the carrier is at rest.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, which includes a hopper provided with a wide opening and a ball valve closing the said opening, said ball valve being operated intermittently by the mechanism achieving the intermittent movement of the filter carrier whereby a determined amount 50 of the masses of material to be treated can be discharged quickly on to the filter surface while the carri r is at rest.

9. Apparatus for the removal of liquids from masses of material associated therewith, which comprises a carrier having a slidably movable plane surface with slots therein, a series of box filters mounted on said carrier above-said slots, each of said filters comprising a horizontal filter surface, a frame normally resting on said horizontal filter surface and a chamber below said filter surface to collect liquid passingthrough said filter, said chamber having outlets communicating with said slots in said carrier'surface, a member having a fixed plane surface with slots which coincide at regular intervals with the slots carrier, while the slots on the movable and fixed said filter, said chamber having outlets com municating with said slots in said carrier surface.

in said carrier surface, a series of conduits communicating with said slots in a fixed plane surface, mechanism for moving said plane surface of said carrier slidably in contact with said fixed plane surface of said member at intermittent intervals, whereby said slots in the said contacting surfaces are brought into coincidence at determined intervals, and a fixed hopper containing material to be treated and arranged to deliver said material to said filter surfaces in succession, a plurality of conduits arranged in turn to spray each of said filter batches, and means for controlling said conduits from the mechanism which achieves the intermittent movement of said filter carrier, so that said conduits are caused automatically to discharge upon said filter batches at predetermined intervals.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, which includes a fixed hopper containing masses of material to be treated and arranged to deliver said material to said filter surfaces in succession, a plurality of conduits arranged in turn, to spray each of said filter batches, and means for controlling said conduits from the mechanism which achieves the intermittent movement of said filter carrier, so that said conduits are caused automatically to discharge upon said filter batches at predetermined intervals.

11. Apparatus, for the removal of liquids from masses of material associated therewith which comprises a carrier having a slidably movable surface with slots therein, a series of box filters mounted on said carrier above said slots to receive the masses of material, each of said filters comprising a horizontal filter surface upon which a: mass of material is deposited, a pivoted arm, a frame carried by said arm and normally resting on a horizontal filter surface, means for lifting said frame from said horizontal filter surface at intermittent intervals, and a chamber below said filter surface to collect liquid passing through said filter, said chamber having outlets com-e municating with said slots in said carrier surface,

a member having a fixed plane surface with slots which coincide at regular intervals with said slots in said carrier surface, a series of conduits communicating with said slots in said fixed plane surface, and mechanism for moving said carrier surface slidably in contact with said fixed plane surface at intermittent intervals, whereby the slots in saidplane surfaces may be brought into coincidence at determined intervals.

12. Apparatus for the removal of liquids from masses of material associated therewith which comprises a carrier having a slidably movable surface with slots therein, a series of box filters mounted on said carrier above said slots to receive the masses of material, each of said filters comprising a horizontal filter surface upon which a mass of material is deposited, a pivoted arm, a frame carried by said arm and normally resting on a horizontal filter surface, and means for automatically swinging said arm about its pivot to raise and lower said frame, a chamber below said filter surface to collect liquid passing through said filter, said chamber having outlets communicating with said slots in said carrier surface,

a member having a fixed plane surface with slots which coincide at regular intervals with said slots in said carrier surface, a series of con duits communicating with said slots in said fixed plane surface, and mechanism for moving said carrier surface slidably in contact with said fixed plane surface at intermittent intervals, whereby the slots in said plane surfaces may be brought 14. Apparatus as claimedin claim 12, wherein into coincidence at determined-intervals. the filter frames are of frusto-pyramidal shape 13. Apparatus as claimed in claim '1, wherein to prevent the filter cakes rising with said filter the filter frames are .of frusto-pyranfidal shape frame.' 1 i V is 7 I 5' to. prevent the filter cakes rising with said filter JOHANN BELLE. 6

frame. ALFONS KUNZ. 

